A greater number of clients are satisfied after being advised to consider mediation, it has been suggested.

Solicitor Tim Wallis of Expedite Resolution writes in Solicitors Journal that mediation does not preclude the possibility of going to court.

Instead, he advises that mediation may be an additional stage in the route to court, or may offer a means of resolving a dispute without incurring unnecessary costs.

Mr Wallis adds that clients who are informed of the potential of mediation to resolve their dispute frequently report higher levels of satisfaction following the resolution of the claim.

"Not everyone who has mediated would chose to repeat the process but researchers generally find a high level of client satisfaction with mediation," he states.

His suggestions echo guidance from the National Audit Office, which recently suggested that solicitors should encourage mediation as a matter of "professional judgment".

Nick Pointon, director of Lloyd's broking firm PYV, stressed the importance of the advice as "if past clients complain that they were not made aware of the potential savings offered by mediation, subsequent claims against a practice's Professional Indemnity insurance policy may follow in order to provide compensation".